Collapsible crate.



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' Patented Aug. 23, 1910.

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U N ITEI) STAIES PATENT OFFICE. A CHARLES R. BROWN, OF KANSAS CITY.MISSOURI. ASSICGNOROF ONE-HALF yJOHN D. AMMERMAN, 0F KANSAS CITY,rMISSOURIl y v i COLLAPSIBLE CRATE.

Specification of Letters Patent. Ratented Aug. 23, 1910.

Application filed August 10, 1908, Serial No. 447.871.` Renewed December18, 1909. Serial No. 533,926.

l To all whom it mary concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES It. Bnowx, a citizen of the United States,residing at Kansas City, in the county of Jackson and State of Missouri,have invented certa in new and useful Improvements in CollapsibleCrates, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements inV collapsible crates.

The object of my invention is to provide a crate, adapted for theshipping of pouitry, which is simple in construction, quickly col#lapsed into a. fiat condition, and easily and quickly assembled intoform for containing poultry and the like. n

The novel features of my invention are hereinafter described andclaimed.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating the invention, Figure 1 is aperspective view of the crate, a portion of the wire-netting of the topmember being removed. and the parts being shown in the assembledcondition. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the crate collapsed, the wirenetting being removed from the top, base side and end niembers. l Y,

Simiiar characters of reference denote similar parts.

The horizontal base of the crate comprises7 preferably, a rectangularboard bot-- toni 1 mounted on wire netting 2 secured to a horizontalrectangular border rod 3. Hinged to opposite edges of the base are twoside members 4 provided each at its outer edge with a longitudinalborder rod 5. Like ends of the border rods 5 are provided withinwardly'turned hooks G, which are horizontally1 disposed when the sidemembers are in the vertical position shown in l" ig. 1. The other endsof the border rods 5 are provided with eyes 7 which are horizontallydisposed and aline with eyes 8 provided at the ends of a border rod 9 onthe outer edge of one of two end members 10 and 11 which are hinged attheir inner edges to opposite ends of the base.

To the outer edge of the end member 11k members are in the verticalposition, shown in Fig. 1. The border rods 12 form part of the topmember 13 which is provided with The side, end and top members, are likethe base covered with wire netting 2. Secured to the wire netting of thetop member 13 is a rectangular frame 15 which cncireles an openingnormally closed by a door 1G hinged to said frame 15. A spring 1Tsecured to the frame 15 normally 'forces the door to the closedposition.-

Hooks 18 are hinged to the border rods 12 and the outer end rod 11.These` hooks are adapted to engage the border rods 5 and 9 forreleasably locking the parts in the assembled position shown in Fig. 1.To collapse the crate, the hooks 18 are released from the side and endmembers, thus permitting the top member 13 being swung upwardly so thatthe hooks at the ends of the rods 12 and denoted by 12 may be removedfrom the eyes 7 and S. The side members may then be swung inwardly to aflat position upon the base, as shown in F ig. 2, and the ends members10 and 1l may be swung with the top member 13 to a horizontal position.The hooks on the border rods 12 may then be caused to engage thelongitudinal border rods 20 disposed one at cach inner edge of the sidemembers 4, thereby locking the parts in the collapsed position.

Modifications of my invention, within the scope of the appended claims.may be made without departing from its spirit.

Having thus described my inventiomwhat I claim and desire to secure byLetters Iatent, is n 1. In a collapsible crate, the combination with abase, of two side members hinged to the base and provided each at oneend with a hook and at the other with an eye, two

end members hinged to the base, one end member being adapted to beengaged by the hooks of the side members when the menibers are swung atright angles to the base, the other end member having c ves at oppositeends adapted to aline respectively with the eyes ofthe side. memberswhen the members are disposed at right. angles to the base, a top memberhinged to the end member which is engaged b v said hooks, said topmember having two hooks for insertion througi'hth(l eyes o'r' the endand side members. when. the end and side members are in the right angledposition and the top member is swung to a position parallel with andover the base, and releasablc means for transverse end rods 14 securedto the rods 12.

' wit-h a base, oit two side and two end members hinged to the base soas to be swung from a position substantially parallel with the base to aposition at right angles thereto, one set of ends of the side membershaving yhooks for engaging the adjacent end mem-y ber when said side andend members are in the right angled position, a top member hinged tosaidend member and provided with hooks, the opposite set of ends of theside members having eyes andthe other end member having eyes forrespectivel 'alining with the eyes of the side members when the side andend members are in the right angled position, the hooks of the topmeinber being insertible in said eyes of the ond and side members whensaid members are in the right angled position, and hooks "for releasablysecuring the top member to the side and end members when the hooks ofthe rtop member are inserted in the eyes of the end and side members. gf

3. In a collapsible crate, the combination with a horizontal base, oftwo side members VIi() hinged to the base and provided each at itsoiiteredge with a border rod, like ends of said border rods of the sidemenibershaving hooks and the other ends provided with eyes, said hooksand eyes being horizontally disposed` when the side members ai'e swungto a vertical position, the hooks in such position beiiig inwardlyturned, two end ineinbers hinged to the base, one end member beingmovable to a vertical position in which it will be engaged by saidinwardly turned hooks, a to) member hinged to the outer edge of' sai endmember and provided at its opposite end with two hooks, the other endmember having at its outer edge a border rod provided at. its ends withyeves adapted to be in vertical alineineiit with the eyes of the sidemembers, when the end and side members are in the vertical position, thehooks of the top member being adapted to enter the eyes of the sideandend members when the said members are swung to the vertical positionand the top member is swung to a horizontal position over the base,

`when released being movable to a horizont-al position.

t. The combination with a base, of two side members comprising tworectangular frames hinged to the opposite edges ot' the base andprovided each with inner and outer longitudinal border rods, lil e endsof the outer rods having hooks, the opposite ends of the outer borderrods having eyes, said `side members being adapted to be swung from avertical position to a position lying kilat upon thebase, two endmembers hinged at their inner edges to opposite ends of t-he base, andprovided each at its outer edge with a border rod, the border rod of theendmember adjacent to the said eyes having at its ends eyes adaptedto'vertically aline with the first named eyes, a top member having twolongitudinal border rods provided at one set of ends with hooks forinserting in the eyes of the end and side meinbers when said members arevertically disposed, tlie other set of" ends of the border rods of thetop member being hinged to the other end member, and hooks pivoted tothe border rods of the top member and adapted to releasably engage theouter border rods of the side members when the side members are in thevertical position, and adapted to releasably engage the inner borderrods of the side members, when the side members are swung to a fiatposition over the base.

.In testimony whereof I have signed my naine t0 this specification inpresence ot two subscribing witnesses. Y

CHARLES R. BROYN. lvitnesses E. B. HOUSE,

